Monday, September 30, 2013

WIMS Environmental News Blogs

WIMS Environmental News Blogs - Sep 30: WIMS is relocating our offices and is taking a temporary leave from all of our publications and blogs. We will return on January 6, 2014.

In the meantime it is a great opportunity to check out our Environmental News Blogs. The blogs are continuously, automatically updated with the latest news and information from various RSS feed sources selected by WIMS.

 

    

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Dry Cargo Residue Discharges In The Great Lakes

Sep 25: The Coast Guard announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) assessing the potential environmental impacts associated with a proposed final rule to regulate discharges of dry cargo residue (DCR) in the Great Lakes [78 FR 58986-58987]. The Coast Guard is requesting public comment on the FEIS which must be submitted on or before October 25, 2013.
 
    In August 2008, the Coast Guard issued an Environmental Impact Statement (the Phase I FEIS), which evaluated regulatory alternatives for discharging DCR into the Great Lakes. Based in part on that FEIS's
findings, we published an interim rule on September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56492). It kept in place the Coast Guard's interim enforcement policy for Great Lakes DCR discharges and announced our intention to research Phase I FEIS data gaps related to DCR discharge control measure costs and effectiveness.

 
   The Phase II FEIS we are now making available is "tiered" off the Phase I FEIS, addresses the Phase I FEIS data gaps, and would provide support for a Coast Guard final rule to take the place of the 2008
interim rule. It finalizes the Phase II draft EIS that we made available for public comment when we issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (77 FR 44528; Jul. 30, 2012) to propose the final rule. The Phase II FEIS reviews data we collected from approximately 2,000 DCR reporting forms and 30 Coast Guard-observed dry cargo loading and unloading operations. Data collected permitted further evaluations of DCR quantities and the effectiveness of control measures. The Phase II FEIS analysis concludes that the final rule would require maintaining a "broom-clean" standard on the vessel deck and implementing a management plan to minimize DCR discharges from a vessel's deck and tunnel. Vessels would need to keep onboard records of DCR-related discharges and continue observing existing DCR discharge exclusion areas. Mitigation of nearshore and port impacts would be included through a prohibition of limestone and clean stone DCR discharges within 3 statute miles of shore. In the Western Basin of Lake Erie, vessels not traveling beyond 3 statute miles from shore could discharge DCR within dredged navigation channels and not create adverse impacts to native sediment or benthos.
 
    Bulk dry cargo residues means non-hazardous and non-toxic residues of dry cargo carried in bulk, including limestone and other clean stone, iron ore, coal, salt, and cement. It does not include residues of any substance known to be toxic or hazardous, such as, nickel, copper, zinc, lead, or materials classified as hazardous in provisions of law or treaty.
 
   Access the FR announcement (click here). Access the docket to submit and review comments (click here). [GLakes]

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Great Lakes Observing System Data Portal Launch

Sep 24: The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) announced the launch of its Data Portal. The GLOS Data Portal is the central repository for Great Lakes data hosted by GLOS. The Data Portal is the means by which GLOS makes real-time and archived information available to a broad range of stakeholders. As outlined in the Enterprise Plan, the availability of data allows stakeholders to make smarter decisions about how to use, manage and restore the resources of the Great Lakes.

    The first screen that appears provides users with an overview of the tool and explains the layout. The information included addresses: Point Observations, Satellite Observations, Model Forecasts, Search and Help. Perusing the topics will assist in quickly understanding the Data Portal. GLOS is dedicated to developing a fully integrated, bi-national observing system that provides products and services to decision-makers, resource managers and other data users. In partnership with federal, state and local government agencies, research institutions, industries, private corporations, bi-national organizations, and not for profit organizations, GLOS connects data users with data providers in ways that are supportive of policy and decision-making.
 
    Access a release from GLOS and link to the Data Portal and a video tour (click here). Access the GLOS website for more information (click here). [#GLakes]

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Legislators Comment On Asian Carp In Flatfoot Lake Near Chicago

Sep 17: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), author of the Stop Invasive Species Act [See WIMS 7/2/12] that was signed into law by President Obama in July 2012, issued a statement after the discovery of an Asian carp in Flatfoot Lake, which is extremely close to Lake Michigan. She said, "There are thousands of Michigan jobs that rely on the Great Lakes, and we need more than temporary fixes. If Asian carp are not stopped before they enter the Great Lakes, they could destroy the ecosystem, as well as the boating and fishing industries, and hundreds of thousands of jobs. We passed bipartisan legislation to require the Corps to finally make stopping Asian carp a top priority, and the Army Corps needs to follow the law and complete its work."

    A 53-inch, 82-pound carp was caught in Flatfoot Lake near Chicago. Flatfoot Lake is located next to Calumet River, which feeds directly into Lake Michigan. Recent research found that as few as 10 Asian carp are needed to establish a breeding population, which illustrates the potentially devastating effects Asian carp could have on the Great Lakes' ecosystem. Sen. Stabenow indicated that this discovery further underscores the Army Corps of Engineers' responsibility to find a solution for keeping Asian carp, and other invasive species, from entering the Great Lakes. The Stop Invasive Species Act, written by Senator Stabenow and Representative Dave Camp (R-MI), requires the Army Corps to deliver concrete options, including full hydrological separation of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River basin, to stop Asian carp. The bill passed Congress and was signed by President Obama last year.

    Rep. Camp also issued a statement saying, "News that a live Asian carp was found dangerously close to Lake Michigan, in Flatfoot Lake, is another reminder that we must find a permanent solution to protect the Great Lakes.  Incidents like this underscore the fact that hydrological separation is the only real way to keep Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes." According to a release from Rep. Camp, last week, Wisconsin Public Radio reported that White House Council on Environmental Quality Asian carp director John Goss recently told a group in Milwaukee that a 53 inch, 82 pound Asian carp had been found in Flatfoot Lake, Illinois in August.

    Access a release from Sen. Stabenow (click here). Access a release from Rep. Camp and link to the radio report (click here). Access the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee website for more information (click here). Access the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study website (click here). [#GLakes]

Monday, September 16, 2013

EPA & DOJ Strengthen S.S. Badger Consent Decree

Sep 16: U.S. EPA announced the filing of a motion by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to enter a revised consent decree that requires Lake Michigan Carferry Service, Inc. (LMC) of Ludington, MI to cease the discharge of coal ash from the S.S. Badger at the end of the 2014 sailing season. The revised consent decree was strengthened in response to almost 8,000 public comments on a proposed consent decree that was lodged earlier this year. Copies of the public comments and EPA's response to those comments were also filed with the court today. EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said, "The revised consent decree has been strengthened based on public comments on the proposed consent decree that was lodged in March. These revisions increase certainty that the S.S. Badger will stop discharging coal ash to Lake Michigan at the end of the 2014 sailing season."

    The proposed consent decree has been revised to double stipulated penalties for non-compliance with the deadline for ceasing coal ash discharges; to limit the mercury and coal ash content of coal used by the S.S. Badger during the 2014 sailing season; and to require LMC to report information on the quantity of coal ash discharged by the S.S. Badger. The proposed consent decree also requires LMC to pay a $25,000 civil penalty for violating mercury water quality standards in 2012. The S.S. Badger is the last coal-fired ship operating on the Great Lakes.
 
    Sierra Club Illinois Chapter Director Jack Darin released a statement saying, "Lake Michigan is one of our nation's greatest natural resources, and DOJ's actions will help preserve the quality and safety of the drinking water source for millions of people in the Midwest. We applaud EPA for its efforts to strengthen the proposed consent decree, and for listening to concerns raised by thousands of residents around Lake Michigan who want the SS Badger's dumping stopped. The fact remains that there is no safe way to burn coal, and even if coal ash is stored on board the S.S. Badger, it will eventually be dumped in another location. It is time to retire the outdated, polluting coal-fired S.S Badger and focus Great Lakes transportation dollars on developing high speed rail and other clean, safe travel options for families in the Midwest."
 
    Access a release from EPA (click here). Access additional extensive information about the S.S. Badger including comments, the amended consent decree and much more (click here). Access a release from Sierra Club (click here). [#GLakes]

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

$1.5 Million For Milwaukee Estuary & Great Lakes Projects

Sep 11: U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe announced a new 2013 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant at Great Lakes Week in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will receive more than $1.5 million for several Milwaukee Estuary and Great Lakes projects. Perciasepe said, "The Great Lakes are critical to our economy and support millions of American jobs. These investments build upon the progress we've already made to clean up the Great Lakes and all of our country's cherished waters." The grant announced will be used to:
• Inventory fish and wildlife populations in the Milwaukee area.
• Locate uncontrolled sources of sewage and evaluate their impacts on water quality.
• Restore and expand grassland habitat in the area and increase breeding opportunities for threatened grassland species.
• Assess the health of microscopic aquatic communities and of bottom-dwelling organisms in four Wisconsin AOCs, including the Milwaukee Estuary.

    Perciasepe also announced the Great Lakes Federal Interagency Task Force (IATF) priorities for fiscal year 2015 to help states, municipalities, tribes, business interests, environmental groups, the academic community and other partners plan their activities. On behalf of the Federal agencies that met in Milwaukee, he announced:

• Progress in developing the next GLRI Action Plan, covering fiscal years 2015-2019. The IATF has spent the past several months seeking input to inform the development of a draft FY15-19 Action Plan, which will be released for public comment in early 2014.
• In fiscal year 2015, the GLRI will likely continue with an emphasis on five focus areas (Toxics, Habitat, Nearshore Health, Invasive Species and Accountability) and within these three priorities: (1) Accelerating the cleanup of AOCs such as Milwaukee Estuary; (2) Preventing invasive species, such as Asian carp, from becoming established in the Great Lakes; Reducing runoff that causes harmful algal blooms in three priority watersheds – Wisconsin's Lower Fox River/Green Bay, Ohio's Maumee River and Michigan's Saginaw River.
• The next Action Plan will also emphasize the need to ensure that GLRI projects are not undermined because of changing weather patterns, in addition to many other needs raised by the Great Lakes community.

    Access a release from EPA (click here). Access the GLRI website for more information (click here).[#GLakes]

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

GLC Annual Meeting Resolutions

Sep 9: The Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission (GLC), which kicked off Great Lakes Week 2013, in Milwaukee, featured spirited dialogue on water levels, the growing dredging backlog on the Great Lakes, which is impeding commercial and recreational navigation, and an action item to tackle the potential benefits and risks of oil transportation in the region. The GLC passed resolutions concerning:
  • Priorities for the Great Lakes navigation system in the federal Water Resources Development Act to ensure new WRDA legislation includes provisions that restore, maintain and strengthen the economic vitality of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Navigation System for commercial and recreational transportation
  • Support for Great Lakes offshore wind demonstration (pilot) projects, recognizing that small-scale demonstration (pilot) projects are the most direct means of assessing potential environmental impacts, and evaluating economic viability and opportunities for job creation involving offshore wind projects
  • Preventing pollution from persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes ecosystem, which urges the U.S. Congress to adopt comprehensive national legislation aimed at minimizing human and ecosystem exposure to PBTs through reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act
  • Recognizing rivermouths: Places vital to the Great Lakes basin that deserve focused restoration and conservation, which urges the U.S. Congress and U.S and Canadian federal agencies to explicitly recognize the ecological importance of rivermouths
    Access a release with additional details (click here). Access the GLC meetings archive where additional details will be posted soon (click here). [GLakes]

Monday, September 9, 2013

NOAA Online Mapping Tool For The Great Lakes

Sep 9: NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration has launched a new online mapping tool for the Great Lakes that will give decision makers, resource managers, and environmental responders better information as they clean up hazardous materials and restore the coastal and estuarine environments. The new Great Lakes Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) tool features the most comprehensive collection of environmental contaminant data in the region, as well as information on natural resources, habitats, weather, water levels, and currents.

    Great Lakes ERMA adds to ERMA coverage in other regions around the nation, and focuses on coastal areas in the Great Lakes Basin from Minnesota to New York and from Ontario to Quebec in Canada. It integrates both static and real-time data from NOAA and other partners into a centralized, easy-to-use format. By combining environmental contaminant data from NOAA's Great Lakes Query Manager database with ecological, recreational, cultural, and commercial information, resource managers can compare environmental conditions over time and between locations.

    ERMA helps to illustrate progress in cleaning up contaminated sediment and restoring the health of the Great Lakes, both across the basin and in Areas of Concern -- the areas identified by the U.S. and Canada as polluted and in need of cleanup and restoration. As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, NOAA developed Great Lakes ERMA,  in collaboration with EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, and University of New Hampshire. In addition to addressing environmental cleanup and restoration under the initiative, Great Lakes ERMA also improves planning, communication, and coordination for emergency responses to pollution incidents, such as oil and chemical spills. It integrates information from a variety of sources into a common picture, which can provide the response team with a quick visualization of the situation.

    Access a release from NOAA with multiple links to referenced information (click here). Access an overview and link to ERMA (click here). [#GLakes]

Friday, September 6, 2013

Comments Wanted On Great Lakes Accountability System

Sep 6: U.S. EPA has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Great Lakes Accountability System (Reinstatement). Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 21937,4/12/13) and during a 60-day comment period, no comments were received. EPA is extending the comment period by an additional 30 days until October 7, 2013.
 
    EPA explains that in 2010, EPA, in concert with its Federal partners, began implementation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) that was included in the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-88) and subsequent appropriations. The GLRI invests funds in programs and projects strategically chosen to target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem. The legislation called for increased accountability for the GLRI and directed EPA to implement a process to track, measure, and report on progress. As part of this process, Federal and non-Federal entities receiving GLRI funds are required to submit detailed information on GLRI projects into the Great Lakes Accountability System (GLAS). The information is necessary to provide an accurate depiction of activities, progress, and results. Information is updated on a quarterly basis.
 
    Access the FR announcement with additional information (click here). Access the EPA docket for additional information to submit and review comments (click here, updated soon). [#GLakes]

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

IJC Report On Lake Erie Nutrient & Algal Issues

Aug 29: The International Joint Commission (IJC) released for public comment the draft report -- Lake Erie Ecosystem Priority:  Scientific Findings and Policy Recommendations to Reduce Nutrient Loadings and Harmful Algal Blooms. The draft report reflects more than a year of work that brought together scientists from Canada and the United States to examine lake-wide changes related to phosphorous enrichment from both urban and rural sources, compounded by climate change and aquatic invasive species. The public is invited to comment online and also at a series of open houses and public meetings.

    Joe Comuzzi, Canadian chair of the IJC said, "The United States and Canada worked together to restore Lake Erie in the 1970s and 80s and their success was an historic binational achievement..Our goal is for this report to help governments address the new challenges facing Lake Erie and make history again." Lana Pollack, U.S. chair of the IJC said, "Common farming practices and also old sewer systems and climate are contributing to Lake Erie's current problems. Our advice to governments pulls no punches because the science indicates that without major changes, especially in farming practices, we won't see any substantial improvement in Lake Erie's health."

    In a release IJC indicates that following the record algal bloom on Lake Erie of nearly 2,000 square miles (more than 5000 square kilometers) in 2011, the Commission launched the Lake Erie Ecosystem Priority, setting as a goal the measurable reduction of phosphorous loads and harmful algal blooms. To address the challenge, dozens of scientists from both countries were brought together to examine scientific, socio-economic and regulatory themes as part of a comprehensive approach. In addition, the public was engaged throughout the process to solicit their views and ideas.

   The Commission is now receiving public comments  through October 5, 2013. The report will be highlighted at a panel discussion on September 10 at the Commission's Great Lakes Triennial Meeting in Milwaukee as part of Great Lakes Week. Following a 45 day public comment period, the draft report will be revised and submitted to the governments later this year. A hearing on the report will be held at Wayne County Community College on September 16. Six other hearings are planned for the Great Lakes and Ontario.

    Access a release from IJC including key highlights a summary of 15 specific recommendations with links to online commenting procedures and more information about public meeting locations and times (click here). Access the complete 86-page report (click here). Access details on the meetings (click here). [#GLakes]

Monday, August 26, 2013

Subscribers & Readers Notice

Subscribers & Readers Notice:
 
WIMS is on our late Summer publication break continuing through Labor Day. We will resume publication on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

GLMRIS Issues Updated Eagle Marsh ANS Controls Report

Aug 14: The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) Team has released the updated Eagle Marsh Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Controls Report, which identifies options and technologies to prevent the transfer via water of Asian carp and other ANS between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins at Eagle Marsh wetlands preserve, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The report was updated based on public comments and is now available on the GLMRIS website.
 
    In the draft report released November 16, 2012, nine structural alternatives were compared and at least three -- all hydrologic separation alternatives -- were determined to have a "high" likelihood of preventing inter-basin transfer of ANS across Eagle Marsh. The draft was open to public review and comments for 60 days following its release, and a public meeting was held December 2012.

    Based on the results of the public review and stakeholder meetings, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and interested stakeholders are conducting further evaluations of variations of Alternatives H and I in the report that could be implemented independently of GLMRIS. Alternatives H and I involve reconstructing an existing agricultural berm along the Graham-McCulloch Ditch at Eagle Marsh.

    One option includes a reconstruction of the existing berm at Eagle Marsh to prevent flood water from passing between the Great Lakes Basin and the Mississippi River Basin during flood events. The reconstructed berm would be similar in height to the existing berm for much of its length, with existing low areas raised and high areas lowered to create a uniform berm. This option is still undergoing evaluation due to complexities in engineering and hydrological analyses, real estate and funding. Additionally, compliance with environmental and other laws still need to be evaluated before a final decision is made.

    The Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) holds an easement on much of the property on which Eagle Marsh is located and is interested in taking the lead on design of the potential berm reconstruction and implementation of a solution to the potential ANS transfer at Eagle Marsh. The Eagle Marsh property is jointly owned by the Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and both organizations have been active in developing a solution.

    USACE has actively coordinated with IDNR, U.S. Geological Survey, NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. EPA, Council on Environmental Quality, LRWP, Maumee River Basin Commission, Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District and Allen County Surveyor's Office throughout the development of the report.

    Of the 18 pathways studied in GLMRIS Focus Area 2, Eagle Marsh was the only one identified as having a high risk for potential transfer of ANS between basins, thus warranting its own ANS controls report. Even after a temporary fence was built in 2010 for Asian carp prevention, Eagle Marsh was still identified as high risk for transfer of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus or VHS.
 
    Access a release from GLMRIS (click here). Access links to the Eagle Marsh report and all appendices and a fact sheet (click here). [GLakes/ANS] 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Great Lakes Socioeconomics & Climate Change

Aug 13: A jointly developed interactive map launched this month by the University of Michigan's Graham Sustainability Institute and Headwaters Economics gives Great Lakes policymakers and decision-makers easy access to targeted data to help them plan for, and adapt to, the regional impacts of climate change. The free online tool -- the "Socioeconomics and Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region" map -- provides social, economic and demographic statistics on 225 counties in the region, overlaid with detailed data about municipal spending, land-use change and climate-change characteristics. It was co-developed by the Graham Sustainability Institute (as part of its Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities project, known as GLAA-C) and Headwaters Economics, an independent, nonprofit research group. The Kresge Foundation funded and facilitated the collaboration.

    Don Scavia, director of the Graham Sustainability Institute said, "We anticipate that the impacts of climate variability and change will be felt differently in different regions of the Great Lakes based on their economies, infrastructure and vulnerable populations. This collaboratively built resource is designed to give these communities some of the solutions-focused, place-based climate science they need to adapt." Elizabeth Gibbons, GLAA-C project manager and research area specialist said, "The interactive map is geared toward helping stakeholders see how changes in climate interact with social, economic and land-use changes across the region. We're really hoping it proves to be a valuable tool for all the municipalities who use it."

    The online tool—which includes historical data from 1951 to 2011 -- covers counties in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. U-M and Headwaters Economics expect to co-develop a similar map for Ontario in the months ahead.
 
    Access a release (click here). Access the online interactive map from the Graham website (click here). Access the online interactive map from the Headwaters website (click here). [#GLakes, #Climate]

Thursday, August 8, 2013

New Science On Toxics Chemical In The Great Lakes

Aug 6:  HealthyStuff.org has partnered with the Mind the Store campaign to craft a mini-report that highlights some of the new science around toxic chemical pollutants in the Great Lakes, including the nasty "PBT" chemicals that stay in the environment, to "emerging contaminants" like Triclosan, which are rapidly rising as Great Lakes pollutants. Toxic chemicals have a variety of routes they travel: some are released directly from manufacturing sites or creep their way out of landfills into the ground water, rivers and lakes, while others are the result of legacy pollution from days past. So the researchers mapped out where the Hazardous 100+ chemicals have been found in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern to illustrate this legacy of pollution.
 
    Access the mini-report including references and links (click here). Access the Hazardous 100+ List of Chemicals of High Concern (click here). Access the HealthyStuff website for more information (click here). [#GLakes/Toxics]
 
 
 

Monday, August 5, 2013

Corps Contracts For A New Electric Carp Barrier

Aug 1: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Chicago District awarded a contract in the amount of $2.8 million July 31, 2013, to E.P. Doyle & Son LLC for construction of water structures as part of a new electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) in Romeoville, IL. E.P. Doyle & Son LLC is certified as a small business concern. The firm-fixed-price construction contract is for the fabrication and in-water installation of electrodes and other in-water structures for a new barrier, as authorized by Congress, as an upgrade to the demonstration barrier that has been online since 2002. Installation is slated for spring 2014. Additional contracts will follow to complete the barrier control building and activate the barrier.

    USACE indicated in a release that here are two other electric barriers in the CSSC. The barriers are operated to deter the inter-basin establishment of Asian carp and other fish through an electric field in the water via the CSSC. The barriers are one control technology in a broad interagency effort to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp establishment.
    The barriers are complex electrical and mechanical systems and must periodically be powered down for maintenance. Therefore, more than one barrier is needed so at least one can be active at any time. Chicago District Commander Col. Frederic A. Drummond Jr. said, "Each barrier built takes lessons learned from the previous ones to ensure the most effective prevention tool possible. We continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to assess the Asian carp threat and make informed decisions regarding barrier operations."

    USACE said that laboratory and tagged-fish results show that the electric barriers are an effective fish deterrent. As of spring 2013, individually-coded transmitters have been surgically implanted into approximately 238 fish of all sizes in the Chicago Area Waterway System. There have been nearly 6 million detections of these fish, and no tagged fish have crossed the barriers in the upstream direction. No Asian carp have been captured or observed above the barriers in the last two years. Currently, the adult population front of Asian carp is about 55 miles from Lake Michigan and has not moved for several years. The electric barriers are approximately 37 miles from Lake Michigan.
 
    Access a release from USACE (click here). Access the USACE Aquatic Nuisance Species Portal for more information (click here). Access the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (click here). [#GLakes/ANS]

Friday, August 2, 2013

Great Lakes Governors RFP Re: Maritime Transportation

Aug 1: The Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) seeks to hire a consultant or consulting firm (consultant), part-time. The primary role of the consultant will be to analyze the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River maritime transportation system and develop recommendations that will ultimately be shared with the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers for their consideration in the development of policies to be adopted and programs that may be implemented.
 
    The position requires experience on port, transportation and maritime issues. The consultant will work closely with the CGLG staff and will report to the Executive Director. The consultant will also work closely with the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Maritime Task Force (Task Force) as well as other staff designated by the Great Lakes States, Ontario and Québec.  Proposals will be accepted via email until August 31, 2013.
 
    Access the CGLG website and a brief announcement of the RFP (click here). Access the complete RFP for details (click here). [#GLakes]

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

GLC Program For Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Grants

Jul 31: The Great Lakes Commission announced the 2013 Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Round Two grant programs. This year, the program offers two grant options, a small scale grant project and a larger watershed scale grant project. The due date for applications is 6:00 PM ET September 6, 2013. A total of $750,000 is available for grants.
 
    GLC indicates that the program is all about making a difference -- in water quality, land use, and agricultural productivity. Initiated in 1991 and authorized in the 2002 and 2007 Farm Bills, the Federal/state partnership has supported well over 400 demonstration and technical assistance projects throughout the Great Lakes region. The Basin Program is coordinated by GLC in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Natural Resources Conservation Service), U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
 
    Access complete information (click here). Access the Great Lakes Basin Program website for additional information (click here). [#GLakes]

Friday, July 26, 2013

$8.5 Million For Great Lakes Green Infrastructure

Jul 26: U.S. EPA announced that it has invited the 22 largest U.S. Great Lakes shoreline cities to apply for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding for green infrastructure projects that will improve Great Lakes water quality. Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman said, "These Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants will be used for green infrastructure projects to reduce urban runoff and sewer overflows that foul beaches and impair Great Lakes water quality."

    Up to $8.5 million is available to U.S. Great Lakes shoreline cities in the following amounts: (A) Population greater than 500,000 Up to $1,000,000; (B) Population from 100,000 - 499,999 Up to $500,000; and (C) Population from 50,000 - 99,999 Up to $250,000. Eligible cities can use the grants to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of rain gardens, bio-swales, green roofs, porous pavement, greenways, constructed wetlands, stormwater tree trenches and other green infrastructure measures installed on public property. Cities are encouraged to work with non-governmental organizations and private sector partners on these projects. Grants will be awarded to eligible Great Lakes shoreline cities on a "first-come, first awarded" basis – until funding runs out. The applications deadline is September 15, 2013.
 
    Access a release from EPA and link to complete details (click here). [#GLakes]

Democratic Senators Want Great Lakes In Climate Plan

Jul 23: Six Great Lakes Democratic Senators wrote President Obama urging him "to fully incorporate the risks and impacts to the Great Lakes" as he charts a plan for confronting climate change [See WIMS 6/25/13 & See WIMS 6/26/13]. The letter is from Senators Carl Levin (D-MI)); Dick Durbin (D-IL); Al Franken (D-MN); Sherrod Brown (D-OH); Charles Schumer (D-NY); and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) . It points to the importance of the Great Lakes, which supply drinking water to 40 million residents and provide 1.5 million jobs, and to problems such as low lake levels and extreme weather that are likely to worsen if climate change continues.
 
    In their letter the Senators indicate, "This year, Great Lakes water levels reached new historic lows severely hampering commercial shipping, jeopardizing recreational boating and fishing, devastating the tourism industry, threatening electric power generation, compromising water supply infrastructure, and exacerbating problems caused by invasive species.  In addition, severe spring storms in the Midwest resulted in flooding that damaged highways, homes, businesses, and public buildings.  The heavy rains and flooding also ironically exacerbated shipping problems in the Great Lakes because the runoff from these storms resulted in excessive sedimentation, further restricting shipping channels.  While we are pleased that your climate action plan would help make communities more resilient to flooding, it is disappointing that low water levels and the Great Lakes were not once mentioned in your plan, nor addressing the impacts they cause to shipping and the economy, water and energy supplies, shoreline integrity and the environment. The impacts of climate change on the nation's largest freshwater system should not be overlooked.
 
    Access a release and the complete letter (click here). [#GLakes, #Climate]

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Meeting Of GLC & Great Lakes Week

Jul 25: The 2013 Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) will be held at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, on September 9, 2013. Again this year, the GLC Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with Great Lakes Week (September 9-12), which features the annual meetings and conferences of diverse groups who are leading the fight to restore the Great Lakes. Events this year include the first binational public forum under the new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition's Great Lakes Restoration Conference.
 
    The GLC meeting will feature panel discussions on fluctuating water levels and St. Clair River control options; the Waukesha, WI, water diversion proposal; and innovative state and provincial programs for dealing with nutrient management, invasive species and other pressing Great Lakes issues. Register by Aug. 9 to receive discounted registration fees. The 2013 Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting registration fee is $110 (USD). Fees will rise to $125 on Aug. 10. An updated agenda, and travel and lodging information are available.
 
    Access complete registration and meeting information (click here). Access complete information on Great Lakes Week activities (click here). [GLakes]

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

MI Senator Proos Urges Action On Asian Carp

Jul 23:  Michigan State Senator John Proos (R-St. Joseph) indicated in a release that a new Canadian report warns of the real threat of an Asian carp invasion that could put the health of the Great Lakes at stake and damage the boating, fishing and tourism economies of both the United State and Canada. He said, "This is the latest report that reaches the same dire conclusion: the environmental and economic impact of Asian carp if they were to invade Lake Michigan would be catastrophic. Billions of dollars in economic activity would be lost, thousands of Michigan jobs would be wiped out and our way of life in the Great Lakes region would be forever changed."

    He said, he and his colleagues are currently pushing Senate Resolution 36 urging Congress to end water diversion from the Great Lakes through Chicago to avoid contamination. Closing the Chicago locks would prevent the migration into Lake Michigan of silver and bighead carp, commonly known as Asian carp. According to the report, since Asian carp breed quickly, have no natural predators and can consume as much as 20 percent of their body weight in a day, they can monopolize food sources and push out native species. The Canadian government predicts that if Asian carp get into Lake Michigan, they would spread to Lake Huron within five years.

    Sen. Proos said, "An Asian carp infestation would wreak havoc on the ecosystems of the Great Lakes and all its rivers, devastate a $7 billion fishing industry and jeopardize the livelihoods of many Michigan families. This is a battle that we cannot afford to lose, so I again urge the president to immediately close the Chicago locks to prevent an ecological and economic disaster. As families and tourists get out and enjoy Michigan waters, I encourage them to join the fight against Asian carp by learning more about the fish and reporting any suspected sightings."

    The report that Senator Proos refers to was released on July 11, by the Canadian nonprofit organization Environmental Defence. The report -- Tipping the Scales: How Canada and Ontario Can Prevent an Asian Carp Invasion of the Great Lakes -- outlines recommendations on what can be done to prevent Asian carp from establishing in the lakes. Nancy Goucher, water programs manager at Environmental Defence said, "Once Asian carp take hold of a lake or river, they wreak havoc on the ecosystem, steal food from other fish species, and are nearly impossible to get rid of. We need to act now to prevent an invasion because the cost of doing nothing is too high." She said, "The good news is that there is still time to prevent these dreaded invaders from establishing in the Great Lakes. This is an issue that affects both sides of the border, and everyone -- government and individuals -- can play a role in protecting the health of the lakes for generations to come."

    Access a release from Sen. Proos (click here). Access a release from Environmental Defence and link to the complete 24 page report (click here). Access the MDNR Asian Carp website for additional information (click here). Access the Asian Carp Management website for additional information (click here). Access the U.S. Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee website for more information (click here). [#MIGLakes, #MIWildlife]

2013 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework

Jul 24: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) release its updated version of the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework [See WIMS 2/24/12]. According to a release, the Administration has invested more than $200 million dollars to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp and created the ACRCC in 2009 in an unprecedented and effective effort to coordinate Federal, State and local efforts to combat the invasive species. John Goss, Asian Carp Director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality said, "This strategy continues our aggressive effort to bolster our tools to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes while we work toward a long term solution. The 2013 Framework will strengthen our defenses against Asian carp and move innovative carp control projects from research to field trials to implementation." The ACRCC has specified the following actions within the 2013 Framework:
  • Provide a sound strategy for addressing the threat of an Asian carp invasion into the Great Lakes such that the Framework continues to provide direction to participating agencies and to provide modes of actions to reduce threats and identify areas of possible future
  • mitigation of Asian carp population expansion.
  • Identify an array of alternatives through the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) to prevent spread of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.
  • Identify efforts that supplement direct management action, such as education and outreach, or increased regulatory structure.
  • Develop an effective and fiscally sustainable Asian carp control program throughout the Great Lakes Basin.
  • Increase program sustainability through Framework action items such as robust control and removal efforts, and novel technology to detect and/or remove existing populations; and improve accuracy of known extent of Asian carp populations (including Dual-Frequency Identification Sonar [DIDSON], hydro-acoustic, and other remote sensing technologies). Other mitigating action items contribute to the program base and can be implemented if an emergency arisesincluding rotenone stockpiling, net development, and advanced fishing strategies. Further development of biological control agents will help to eradicate novel populations where they arise or to deplete existing stocks.
  • Identify ongoing or potential collaboration among ACRCC entities, and specify partner roles.
  • Document, track, and communicate actions of ACRCC partners in applying full authorities, capabilities, and resources to prevent introduction and establishment of Asian carp in the Great Lakes.
  • Further engage with governmental, industrial, environmental, and other stakeholders.
  • Initiate development of a strategy for transferring technology, decision support tools, and/or information to resource managers.
  • Apply technologies and lessons learned to areas below the electric dispersal barriers and to concurrent national Asian carp efforts, where applicable.
  • Build upon developed collaborative roles in the Great Lakes Basin to fully prepare for other basin-wide efforts as these arise.
    According to the report, "This Framework is a product of the best science available. Widespread agreement exists among scientists and stakeholders that prevention measures are critical to avoid the potential economic, environmental, and social costs associated with Asian carp establishment in the Great Lakes."
 
    Access a release from ACRCC (click here). Access the complete 200-page 2013 Framework document (click here). Access the ACRCC website for more information (click here). [#GLakes]

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

GOP "Proud" Proposed Budget Cuts Will Put "Check" On EPA

Jul 23: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related agencies voted 7-4, in a straight party line vote, to approve a funding bill that would make major cuts to critical U.S. EPA and Great Lakes Programs. The legislation includes funding for the Department of the Interior, the U.S. EPA, the Forest Service, and various independent and related agencies. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes (HOW) Coalition points out that the bill "slashes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding by nearly 80 percent -- from the current level of $285 million to a proposed $60 million for fiscal year 2014. GLRI funds projects to clean up toxic contamination, reduce runoff from cities and farms, control invasive species, and restore fish and wildlife habitat.
 
    Overall, the bill funds the EPA at $5.5 billion, a reduction of $2.8 billion -- or 34% -- below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. HOW also indicated that the bill also "slashes funding" to the Clean Water State Revolving Loan fund, the national program that helps communities fix old sewers to keep beaches open and protect drinking water supplies. The bill also cuts that program by more than 80 percent -- from the current level of $1.03 billion to a proposed $250 million for fiscal year 2014. A Republican Subcommittee release indicates that, the legislation also includes provisions to rein in various problematic, costly, and potentially job-killing regulatory actions by the Administration. Some of these provisions include: language related to the "stream buffer rule"; changes to the definition of "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act; "new source" performance standards; "silviculture" regulations; changes to the definition of "fill material;" and new financial assurance requirements for hard rock mining.
 
    Todd Ambs, campaign director for HOW said, "The nation is at a crossroads. We urge public officials to keep restoration efforts on track by restoring funding to successful Great Lakes efforts and embracing a plan that puts the Lakes on a path toward recovery. Cutting successful Great Lakes programs will not save the nation one penny. It will only cost taxpayers more, because projects will only become more difficult and expensive the longer we wait." HOW said a funding bill in the House Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee 
 
    Joel Brammeier, co-chair of HOW and President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes said, "Cuts of this magnitude would bring Great Lakes programs to a halt. At a time when communities are facing a staggering backlog of work to keep sewage out of our lakes and rivers, the nation needs to increase -- not cut -- these investments, which are critical for the environment and economy."   

    Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) commented on the bill saying, "Simply put, this bill makes very difficult choices in an extremely tough budget environment. In order to fund critical 'must-do' priorities, like human health, public safety, and treaty obligations and responsibilities, we've had to reduce and even terminate some programs that are popular with both Members of Congress and the American people. Within challenging budget constraints, we've focused on providing adequate funding to fight and prevent wildfires, making sure our national parks stay open, and meeting our trust responsibilities to American Indians. Paying for these critical priorities comes at a price to many agencies and activities throughout the bill. We are going to continue to see these kinds of dramatic reductions as long as we keep trying to reduce the debt by cutting discretionary spending alone, rather than also tackling mandatory spending, which is the real driver of our debt."    

    Full Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) said, "The vast majority of the cuts fall on the Environmental Protection Agency, which is reduced by $2.8 billion, a full 34% down from FY13. That is no accident. As the American economy struggles to get up to speed, this Agency has introduced countless regulatory obstacles to growth and job creation, all without approval from Congress. The fruit of this labor has been readily apparent in southeastern Kentucky. In exchange for the use of millions of taxpayer dollars, the EPA helped to put 5,700 Kentucky miners in the unemployment lines between 2011 and 2012. New regulations and the uncertain business environment they create have shuttered coal plants nationwide. One-fifth of this country's coal fleet has been retired under this Administration, with many more to come unless something is done about it. The closure of one of those plants, Big Sandy in my District, will mean a further 120 jobs lost and a rate hike of between eight and a whopping thirty-one percent for customers throughout the region.

    "And now the President wants to put the nail in the coffin by regulating greenhouse gases on new and existing power plants, regardless of fuel source. This is a regulatory tilting of the playing field in favor of other energy sectors that will prove disastrous for the American families, businesses, and our energy security. It is no wonder that the White House talking points memo on these regulations explicitly advised staff to avoid discussion of 'net job numbers,' as these New Source Performance Standards have been forecasted to add hundreds of thousands to the unemployment lines. The pain already felt in Appalachia will be known across the country if these regulations are allowed to take effect. I am proud to say that this legislation serves as a check on the EPA, reducing its operations funding and prohibiting this harmful regulatory energy tax and several other proposed rules that would serve only to harm our economic recovery."

    Access a summary of the bill and link to the draft text of the bill (click here). Access the Republican markup meeting website for a video including the record vote, Republican statements and the bill text (click here). Access a lengthy release from HOW with additional details (click here). Access a summary of the bill and link to the draft text of the bill (click here). [#All, #GLakes]

Monday, July 22, 2013

Great Lakes Ecological & Economic Protection Bills

Jul 22: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) issued a release commending the introduction of a House bill that authorizes several critical Great Lakes restoration programs and strengthens regional coordination and binational cooperation with Canada. The Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act (GLEEPA) was introduced by U.S. Representative Dave Joyce (R-OH). The bill is virtually identical to a Senate bill (S.1232) introduced on June 26, by Senator Carl Levin, et al, with the exception that it authorizes the Great Lakes Legacy Act at $100 million annually versus $150 million in the Senate bill. GLC gratefully acknowledges Rep. Joyce's leadership on the legislation and urges members of the House Great Lakes delegation to sign on as co-sponsors of the bill. Other members joining Rep. Joyce in introducing the bill include Reps. John Dingell (D-MI), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Tom Petri (R-WI), Sander Levin (D-MI), and Candice Miller (R-MI).

    GLC Chair Kenneth Johnson, water division administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said, "This legislation will advance programs that are vital to the environmental and economic well-being of the entire region. GLEEPA will ensure that these valuable programs continue to protect and restore our Great Lakes and support our freshwater investment strategy." The bill formally authorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI); reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act; establish an Interagency Task Force to coordinate federal Great Lakes programs and a Great Lakes Advisory Board; and authorizes U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office.

    Access a release from GLC on the House bill (click here); and the Senate bill (click here). Access the S.1232 (click here). [GLakes]

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Great Lakes Advisory Board Meeting July 23

Jul 18: U.S. EPA announces a public meeting and teleconference of the Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB) to be held  on July 23, 2013 in Chicago, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (CDT). The GLAB is a Federal advisory committee established in 2012 to provide independent, consensus advice on Great Lakes restoration to the EPA Administrator who acts as Chair of the Interagency Task Force. The GLAB consists of 18 members, including a chairperson, appointed by EPA's Administrator. Members serve as representatives of state, local and tribal government, environmental groups, agriculture, business, transportation, foundations, educational institutions and as technical experts.
   
The GLAB held a meeting on May 21 and 22, 2013 and a teleconference on June 12, 2013, to discuss refinements to the existing GLRI Action Plan that will inform the development of a draft FY 2015-2019 Action Plan. The purpose of the July 23, 2013 meeting is for the GLAB to discuss its recommendations. Also, periodic opportunities for the public to provide input to the GLAB for consideration will be provided after the July 23, 2013 public meeting.
 
    Access an announcement with further details and links (click here). Access an agenda and other materials in support of the meeting from the GLRI website (click here). [#GLakes/GLRI]

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

EPA RFP For Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Jul 15: U.S. EPA issued a Request for Applications soliciting proposals from states, municipalities, tribes, universities and nonprofit organizations for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grants to fund new projects to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Up to $9.5 million will be available during the current funding cycle. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects in the Great Lakes basin. Applications are due August 14, 2013. 

    EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman said, "This round of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding will be used for projects that reduce exposure to toxic substances from fish consumption, control invasive species, and improve water quality in the Great Lakes. The work funded by these grants will help to restore and protect waters that are essential to the health and jobs of millions of Americans." A webinar explaining the grant application process will be held at 11:00 AM, Eastern Time, on Tuesday, July 30.
 
    Access the Request for Applications and information about applying for GLRI grants (click here). Access the GLRI website for more information (click here). [GLakes/GLRI] 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study Newsletter

Jul 10: The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS), managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Chicago District has release the latest issue of its newsletter on the Study (Volume 3, Issue 2). The issue includes: the GLMRIS Report and Agency Technical Reviews; updated pathway reports on areas outside of the Chicago Area Waterway System (Focus Area 2) posted; the 2013 Asian carp monitoring plan and distribution maps; and more.
 
    Access the newsletter (click here). Access the GLMRIS website for more information (click here). [GLakes/GLMRIS]

NWF Sues EPA Over Weak Ballast Water General Permit

Jul 10: The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) announced that it is suing the U.S. EPA to force the agency to adopt measures that will effectively stop vessels discharging ballast water from introducing and spreading harmful aquatic invasive species. NWF indicated in a release that ballast water invaders such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, spiny water fleas and round gobies have turned the Great Lakes ecosystem on its head, altering the food web and threatening the health of native fish and wildlife. Non-native ballast water invaders cost Great Lakes citizens, utilities, cities and businesses at least $200 million annually in damages and control costs.

    NWF initiated the lawsuit in United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. EPA issued a permit to regulate ballast water discharges in late April [See WIMS 3/28/13 & WIMS 3/29/13], the result of a long legal battle in which conservation organizations forced the Federal agency to comply with the Clean Water Act. NWF says the ensuing permit, however, fails to protect U.S. waters from ballast water invaders.

    Marc Smith, senior policy manager for NWF said, "The EPA's permit will not adequately protect the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters from ballast water invaders. This weak permit leaves the door open for future harm to our environment and economy. We can do better -- and need to do better -- if we are to protect our fish and wildlife and their habitat for future generations."

    On March 28, 2013, when EPA announced the final vessel general permit which covers commercial vessels greater than 79 feet in length, excluding military and recreational vessels, and will replace the 2008  permit on December 19, 2013, when the old permit expires. EPA said the permit regulates 27 specific discharge categories, and will also provide improvements to the efficiency of the permit process, and clarify discharge requirements (see link below for details).

     Access a release from NWF (click here). Access EPA's overall Vessel Discharge website for more information(click here). [#Water, #GLakes]

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Latest Council Of Great Lakes Governors' Newsletter

Jul 8: The Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) announced the availability of the July 2013 edition of its newsletter, THE COMPASS. Highlights in the issue include: A Message from Council Co-Chair Illinois Governor Pat Quinn; Governors and Premiers Set New Regional Agenda; Governors and Premiers Create Regional Maritime Initiative; Council Launches Water Partnership; Council to Lead Trade Mission to South America; Great Lakes USA Attends International Pow Wow 2013.
 
    Access the latest and previous issues of the newsletter (click here). Access the CGLG website for more information (click here). [#GLakes]
 
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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

NOAA Annual HAB Outlook For Western Lake Erie

Jul 2: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its research partners predict that the 2013 western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom (HAB) season will have a significant bloom of cyanobacteria, a toxic blue-green algae, this summer. The predicted bloom is expected to be larger than last year, but considerably less than the record-setting 2011 bloom. Bloom impacts will vary across the lake's western basin. This marks the second time NOAA has issued an annual outlook for western Lake Erie. Holly Bamford, Ph.D., NOAA's assistant administrator for the National Ocean Service said, "This annual forecast and NOAA's weekly bulletins provide the most advanced ecological information possible to Great Lakes businesses and resource managers so they can save time and money on the things they do that drive recreational activities and the economy."

Harmful algae blooms were common on western Lake Erie in the 1960s and 1970s. After a lapse of nearly 20 years, they have been steadily increasing over the past decade. As an early warning system, NOAA has issued weekly HABS bulletins for western Lake Erie since 2008 through the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). The weekly bulletins will continue in 2013. Jeff Reutter, Ph.D., director of Ohio State University's Sea Grant program and Stone Laboratory said, "This information is critical for tourists, coastal businesses, water treatment plant operators, state and regional natural resource managers and scientists throughout Ohio, the region, and the country. In Ohio, as part of our Phosphorus Task Force II, we have used information from the NOAA model to help us target reductions in the amount of phosphorus going into the lake that would eliminate, or greatly reduce, the HABs."

    The 2013 seasonal forecast, made possible using NOAA models developed by NCCOS scientists, uses an 11-year data set of nutrients flowing into Lake Erie, collected by the Heidelberg University's National Center for Water Quality Research, and analysis of satellite data from the European Space Agency's Envisat. In addition to the satellite monitoring of the lake, NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research  Laboratory, Ohio State University's Sea Grant Program and Stone Laboratory, Heidelberg University, the University of Toledo, and Ohio EPA will be collecting key measurements from the lake as the summer progresses. Those results will provide valuable information to regional managers and assist NCCOS scientists in further refining the accuracy of this forecast's models.

    Access a release from NOAA with multiple links to related information (click here). [#GLakes]

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Senators Introduce Great Lakes Protection Act

Jun 26: Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) introduced the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013 (S.1232). Cosponsors included Senators: Mark Kirk (R-IL); Tammy Baldwin (D-WI); Sherrod Brown (D-OH); Dick Durbin (D-IL); Al Franken (D-MN); Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Charles Schumer (D-NY); and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The legislation would authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $475 million annually to help continue successful programs to clean up toxic pollution, combat invasive species, restore fish and wildlife habitat and reduce runoff from cities and farms.

    In a Floor statement, Senator Levin said in part, "This bill builds upon the work of a multitude of stakeholders -- environmental organizations; business associations; tribal governments; community leaders; and Federal, state and local officials -- who worked together to craft the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a 2005 plan to guide restoration and protection for the Great Lakes. The legislation we are introducing today would formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an inter-agency program designed to implement the plan articulated in the Collaboration Strategy. 

    "The GLRI is an action-oriented, results-driven initiative targeting the most significant problems in the Great Lakes, including aquatic invasive species, toxics and contaminated sediment, nonpoint source pollution, and habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. While broadly authorized under the Clean Water Act, the GLRI should be specifically authorized in law to clarify its purpose and objectives and to demonstrate support from Congress. Since the GLRI was launched in fiscal year 2010 with $475 million in funding, real progress has been made to restore the health of the Great Lakes: More than a million cubic yards of contaminated sediments have been cleaned up.  More than 20,000 acres of wetland, coastal, upland and island habitat have been restored or enhanced. New technologies are being developed to combat the sea lamprey. Asian carp have been prevented from establishing a sustaining population in the Great Lakes. Hundreds of river miles have been restored to enable free fish passage from the Great Lakes to their spawning grounds. Reduction of nutrient loading from agriculture runoff has lessened occurrences of harmful algal blooms.

    "In addition to authorization of the GLRI, this legislation would reauthorize two existing programs: (1) the Great Lakes Legacy program, which supports the removal of contaminated sediments at more than thirty Areas of Concern (AOCs) across the Great Lakes; and (2) the Great Lakes National Program Office, which handles Great Lakes matters for the EPA. . . We hope the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will promptly act on this important legislation, as it did in 2010 when it approved similar legislation."

    The Healing Our Waters Great Lakes (HOW) Coalition issued a release supporting the new bill which they said would help bolster Federal efforts to restore the Great Lakes. Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition, said, "This bill will strengthen federal Great Lakes restoration efforts. Programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative are producing results in communities across the region, but more needs to be done. We commend Sens. Carl Levin, Mark Kirk and other supporters of the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013 for putting forward a bill that will help keep federal restoration efforts on track. We urge the full U.S. Senate to support and pass this bill."

    Access the complete Floor statement (click here). Access a release from HOW (click here). Access legislative details for S.1232 (click here). [GLakes]

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

IJC Wants Comments On Two Advisory Boards

Jun 24: The International Joint Commission (IJC) is inviting the public to comment on its proposed functions, structure and member competencies for its two advisory boards under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 2012. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 2012 directs the Commission to create a Great Lakes Water Quality Board (WQB) to be its principal advisor, and a Great Lakes Science Advisory Board (SAB) to inform the Commission and the WQB on scientific issues related to the Agreement.  In keeping with the Commission's view that transparency and public input are valuable to guide its decisions, the Commission is giving the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed detailed functions (i.e., mandate), structure and the competencies required for membership on these two boards. The detailed functions proposed by the Commission are subject to the approval of the two federal governments. The public has 30 days to review and comment. Comments will be accepted until midnight July 24, 2013.

    IJC indicates in a release that the United States and Canada are extraordinarily fortunate to share the Great Lakes, a world-class resource containing one-fifth of all the fresh surface water on earth. The importance of this international treasure was recognized over 40 years ago when the United States and Canada first signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, committing our two countries to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. An updated Agreement was signed in 2012 and went into force earlier this year and provides a new set of goals that will guide future actions to protect and restore this vital asset.

    Access a release from IJC (click here). Access the consultation materials and provide comments (click here). [#GLakes]
 
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Lake St. Clair Strategic Implementation Plan Finalized

Jun 12: A release from Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) indicates that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has granted final approval to the Lake St. Clair Strategic Implementation Plan. The plan, which includes scores of specific restoration recommendations, was signed by Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy on Monday, clearing a critical hurdle that will provide an important leg up as Lake St. Clair restoration projects seek federal funding. WIMS was able to obtain a near final version of the plan from USACE and have published the draft on our EcoBizPort.com website (see link below). USACE indicates that the final approved version from HQ, will be posted on their website in the near future. 

    The plan has formally been in the works since 2007, when Representative Sander Levin (D-MI) and Senator Levin (D-MI) wrote a provision into the 2007 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that called for the Corps of Engineers to lead a partnership of Lake St. Clair stakeholders in developing a Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) to come up with specific projects to implement the more than 100 individual recommendations contained in the 2005 Management Plan. The SIP and the process that created it are significant because they took the very general recommendations and goals contained in the 2005 Management Plan and provided a structure for Lake St. Clair stakeholders to move forward with specific restoration projects. The SIP includes scores of specific restoration project recommendations in areas such as conserving and restoring habitat; managing storm water; and using technology to preserve and protect the Lake St. Clair. 

    Approval of the SIP also gives Lake St. Clair restoration projects a leg up when it comes to Federal funding. The 2007 legislation that set the SIP process in motion contained a $20 million authorization to carry out projects developed by the implementation plan. Many Lake St. Clair restoration projects are also eligible for funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) program, which was started three years ago by President Obama. The actual amount of money available for restoration projects depends greatly on how much funding Congress provides to the Corps of Engineers and the GLRI in their annual appropriations bills.

    Rep. Levin said, "Today we take the next big step toward the full restoration of Lake St. Clair. Lake St. Clair and its watershed are worth protecting, and this implementation gives us a new tool to move forward with this effort." Sen. Levin said, "I commend the Army Corps of Engineers and the numerous partners in this effort as their work will help ensure that projects are implemented in a coordinated manner and prioritized to reflect shared goals. The St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair are resources we all celebrate, and their restoration and protection will enable future generations to enjoy this cherished resource." Lt. Col. Robert Ells, district engineer for the USACE Detroit District said, "We are especially pleased to enter into the next phase of developing ecosystem restoration and protection plans for the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair. The Corps is working with an incredibly energetic, diverse and enthusiastic partnership committed to protecting this precious resource that people who live and play in this region enjoy."

    Access a release from Sen. Levin and link to the USACE approval memo (click here). Access the near final draft SIP (click here). Access USACE planning document website where the final SIP will be posted soon (click here). [GLakes/St.Clair]

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